Two if by Heart
by Bedelia
Summary: For Sam, it's the stuff of legends: immediate, intense, activated by first sight. For Jake, it requires a kiss. For Paul, blood. Leah is so stubborn, her imprint has to fall in love with her first. Spin-off of "A Forest Fire."
1. Chapter 1

**Two if by Heart**

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_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Twilight. This is an amateur, non-profit work.  
__**A/N: **__This story is a spin-off of _A Forest Fire_. It's not strictly necessary to read AFF to understand this story, but it'd certainly help. Also, there will be several AFF spoilers. This is going to be a short one: just two or three chapters. The next chapter should be up in about a week. Thanks for reading!_

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**Chapter One**

Beautiful, but smelly. Not the first impression Garrett expected to have of his alleged soul mate, but there it was. In the smoky, venom-soaked aftermath of battle, she stared at him, unblinking. Heat sneaked up his spine, tingled down his arms. Someone gasped — Jasper, Edward, maybe both. Given what he learned later of the thoughts and emotions coursing through the girl at that moment, he couldn't blame them.

"Hey, is she in shock?" Garrett asked. When his friends remained as still and open-mouthed as the wounded girl, he added, "Are _you_, for that matter?"

"No," Edward said, turning his attention back to the bite on the girl's arm. "She's fine. Um. Yes. Just fine."

Garrett tried to laugh, but it came out more like a snort. "Convincing."

"Unbelievable," the girl said. Falling back against the grass, she shook her head. "Just fucking great. Billions of human men on the planet, but _no_. I couldn't imprint on one of _them_."

"Imprint?" Garrett said.

Jasper sprinted away, disappearing into the forest. Garrett almost followed him. His friendship with Jasper and Alice had spanned decades. For a few years, they'd been almost like a coven. And now, Alice's ashes lay across the field, the remnants of her scent swirling up in dusty plumes. Even so, something kept Garrett rooted next to the strange girl who couldn't stop looking at him.

"I don't think it's my place to explain it you," Edward said, tapping his long fingers against his knee.

"Damn straight it isn't," the girl said.

Garrett took a chance and kneeled at her side. Not the wisest choice when surrounded by wolves who were designed to destroy his kind, perhaps, but he didn't think she would try to hurt him.

"Is it your place, then?" he said.

"No. No, it has to be some sort of false alarm. I mean, it's not like what I've seen through... It's impossible. Has to be."

"Hmm. Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"

Before she could answer with more than a roll of her eyes, a black wolf stalked toward them. The stench of wet dog overpowered the woodsier scent of the girl, made Garrett grimace and cover his nose. The black wolf was bigger than the others, with a growl to match. Fur bristling, his eyes locked onto Garrett's.

"Get back," the girl said, pushing Garrett toward the trees with a burning touch of his forearm. She offered Edward no similar warning before her bones shifted and she morphed into a small, gray wolf. Crouching in front of Garrett, she snapped her teeth and snarled.

The other wolf took a few stumbling steps back and fell into a sitting position. In growls and barks and weighty silences, the two of them argued until, eyes narrowed, the larger one retreated.

"Hold on," Edward said to the girl. His fingers went to work on the row of buttons down the middle of his torso, unfastening them to reveal a pale stripe of skin.

"What the hell are you doing?" Garrett said.

Edward nodded at the shreds of fabric that had once been the girl's shorts and tank top. In her panic, she hadn't removed them before phasing.

"She's decided it's not a false alarm. She wants to talk to you."

Oh. Had he known her longer than five minutes, Garrett might have teased her before offering her his own shirt. Instead, he turned his face to the trees to offer her some privacy.

"Okay," she said after a quick rustle of fabric. "I'm decent... ish."

She was tall — only a few inches shorter than Garrett. The hem of Edward's shirt hit mid-thigh on her long legs. She wore it without an ounce of embarrassment, as though she didn't realize or care that she was one strong breeze away from flashing a crowd of vampires. With her chin tilted up, she extended a hand to him.

"I'm Leah."

-oOo-

The Cullens' house had never been so quiet. Without Alice, voices hushed, laughter fizzled out before it could really start. Unable to sit still, Garrett paced the halls.

_Stay with them_, Alice's letter had said — the one that'd arrived in the sweaty hands of a nervous, portly little man. _Smile and take them on adventures and help them through this, since I can't. Your future is so fuzzy, but I know you. I know you'll be good at it. Just be yourself._

Nothing about imprinting. No mention of Leah, either. Knowing the future took the thrill out of it. He'd always told Alice as much, but in this case, a hint would've been welcome. Helping the Cullens was a given. That was never in question. But this imprinting business... he couldn't get his head around it.

How could he be the mate of his natural enemy? Was he bound to her, as she was bound to him? She'd vanished before he could voice any of his questions, leaving him alone to think over the scant information she'd revealed.

The rattle of Leah's car interrupted his thoughts. She'd come for Alice's funeral, Seth and Jacob in tow, clutching an offering of flowers. When Garrett rushed to open the door before she could knock, her pulse somersaulted into double-time.

Well. If he was indeed linked to her, it would certainly be an adventure.

-oOo-

Only the whisper of their breaths — already in time with each other — and the thud of Leah's heart cut through the silence of the forest. No rustling in the undergrowth, no songs trilling from the branches overhead. Animals fled where Garrett walked, birds migrated to safety.

"It's not like love at first sight," Leah said. "At least, it wasn't for me. Not for Quil, either, but I always figured that was because his imprint is a toddler."

Garrett's eyebrows shot up. "She is?"

"Yep. Sick, huh? Sam, though... yeah. For him, it _was_ instant love. Like he was..." She swallowed hard and let out a bitter laugh. "Like he was suddenly complete."

"But you don't feel that way about me."

"Do you want me to?"

Remembering what she'd told him about the impulse among wolves to make their imprints happy, no matter the cost, he shook his head. "I hardly know you, and I'd rather you not be forced to feel anything against your will."

"You and me both." Picking up a fallen twig, she drew curlicues in the dirt around a cluster of roots. "I guess I sort of feel like Quil does. There's this draw that I can't ignore, and I want to protect you, which is _so_ messed up. Hey, how old are you, anyway? Quil's going to give me hell if you're my grandfather's age or something. He's already made a few jokes about diapers. Which I probably had coming, to be honest, given what I've said about his imprint."

Ducking his head, Garrett only half-succeeded in disguising his chuckle as an unnecessary cough. "I'm not sure you'll like my answer."

"Damn. Under a hundred?"

"Not quite. I was born in 1755."

"_1755_?" Had any creatures remained nearby, they would've scattered at the piercing volume of her voice. "Are you kidding me?"

He grinned. "Changed during the Revolutionary War." After letting her hide her face in her hands and half-laugh, half-groan for a few moments, he added, "What does this imprint mean, in the long run?"

"Well, for me, it means I'll be drawn to you for the rest of my life. By all accounts, I won't be able to even consider being with anyone else. For you, it means whatever you want it to mean. It's not a two-way bond. You can—" she drew in a shaky breath, "—you can walk away. I wouldn't chase you, if that was your decision. _I_ can take no for an answer."

"And you get no choice? You're chained to me, like it or not?"

"Yeah, but it could be worse." With an almost-smile, she shrugged one shoulder. "I could be chained to Edward."

His laugh was genuine, but short-lived. Another question sprang to his lips. "Your pack kills human-drinkers. Will they try—"

"No. Well, yes, they do that. They protect humans, but they won't hurt you. They can't. Imprints are off-limits."

"That's good to know." In one swift movement, he leaped to his feet. "Well, are you going to join me?"

"Join you?"

"For my first drink of deer. I've heard it's quite the experience." Bending down, he offered her his hand. "I'll probably make a face. You wouldn't want to miss that."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

As per usual, her scent slammed into him before she came into view. Over the past month, he'd grown almost accustomed to it. The rest of the house hadn't; Rosalie was forever complaining that she could smell dog on his clothes even when Leah wasn't around.

She came bounding through the trees in wolf form, the handle of a red and white cooler grasped between her teeth. Ignoring the instincts that screamed at him to keep his eyes on her — to crouch and prepare to defend himself — he turned to let her phase and dress.

"Hey," she said, popping the lid on the cooler before he could face her again. A heap of plastic-wrapped sandwiches rested on a bed of ice packs, apples, pudding cups, and bottled water.

Garrett wasn't overly familiar with human eating habits, but her mountain of food looked like enough to see a football team through a day-long hike.

"Hello." He chuckled. "How long are you staying?"

"Just until sunset. Gotta get back in time to patrol." Sitting cross-legged in front of what had become her tree, she helped herself to one of the sandwiches. "Don't look at me like that. Forks to Tillamook is a long-ass run. I work up an appetite."

"No, I know. But... you don't have to bring that stuff. Esme would be thrilled if you let her cook for you."

"Mm." A quarter of the sandwich disappeared with one bite. "You'd make her do it instead of cooking something yourself?"

"I'm not sure you'd want to try my cooking. I have no memories of attempting it as a human."

She grinned at this, leaving Garrett wondering if she would've felt compelled by the imprint to accept the offer if he'd been the one preparing the food. Before he could ask, an all-too familiar chorus of moans assaulted his ears.

"Damn," he said. "Sorry. I didn't realize Rose and Emmett were on a hunt."

"Huh?" Craning her neck as if to see over a fence, she paused in her demolition of the sandwich to listen. "Oh. Are they...?"

"Afraid so. They tend to get a bit, err, _affectionate _after they feed. Fairly standard among mated couples of our kind, which is why I hunt with Edward. Or Jasper, when I can make him leave his cabin."

Leah snorted. "If either of them get handsy, just let me know. I could take 'em."

A fistful of pine needles was all he had to toss at her in retaliation. She dodged, giggling in a way he'd seldom heard from her, and leapt to her feet.

"Come on," she said, offering him a hand. "Let's head down to the river. Maybe the sound of the rushing water will drown them out."

He picked up the cooler before she could, ignoring her half-hearted attempt to take it from him. As they walked, he swung her enormous lunch at his side, trying to remember some time-fogged vision of his human life in which he carried a girl's books home from school.

"Maybe we should set up some sort of signaling system in case this happens again," he said. "A way for you to know if you should meet me by the river or at the usual place. Lights or something that the others could put up when they go on a hunt."

"Like a 'one if by land, two if by sea' sort of deal?"

"Ha. Yes. Two lights on top of Jasper's cabin, and it means Rosalie and Emmett are coming."

"Eww."

Upon reaching the river, Leah devoured the remainder of her food while Garrett attempted to skip rocks. In between bites, she studied his technique and offered what she called "constructive criticism."

"I kinda like that you suck at this," she said, throwing her last pudding cup into the cooler as if shooting a basketball, then holding her arms up with a triumphant grin when she hit her target. "I mean, sure, you can speak sixteen languages—"

"Seventeen."

"But you can't skip a rock. What else can't you do?"

"Oh, I've hundreds of shortcomings. I've spent over two hundred years cultivating them." Crouching low to the ground, he tried another rock. It sank as though he'd walked out to the middle of the water and dropped it there. "I did mention that I can't cook, if you recall."

"Doesn't count. You haven't even attempted it."

"Fine. If you're going to take that view of it, I suppose not being able to play the oboe doesn't count, either. Hmm. I can't whistle."

"Yes! Perfect." Holding her spoon like a baton, she conducted herself as she whistled a few bars of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

Another rock landed in the river with a plop. Garrett scowled at it. A dusty memory piped up before he could hush it, drawing his attention to the fact that he had been unable to master rock skipping as a human, too.

"I probably couldn't beat you in a race," he said. "Not when you're a wolf."

"You think so? We'll have to test that sometime."

"Don't need to." A breeze carried her scent across the distance between them and swirled it around until his head was full of her. "You couldn't be inferior to me if you tried."

Glancing back over his shoulder, Garrett decided his wolf was at her most beautiful when rendered speechless: parted lips, wide eyes, the ghost of a smile just beginning to take shape. If at all possible, he'd make her look like that at least once a day.

Of course, it wasn't often that she found herself without words. Almost never, actually. He smirked. What an excellent challenge.

-oOo-

For the first few months, sleeping at the Cullens' meant a night spent outside for Leah. Refusing the bed in Garrett's room, she made a pillow of her folded hands and stretched out on the forest floor. While she snored on, she kept her back to Garrett, facing the main house as if preparing to defend him from his new family.

Unlike Edward's former flame, Leah didn't talk in her sleep. What she did was kick. On one such night, Garrett began experimenting, placing yards of space between them and then moving as close as he could bear. The further he got, the more restless she became.

Interesting.

Without warning, a cabin door creaked open. Emmett's voice boomed out, coaxing a black-eyed Jasper to join him for a hunt. If those two were prowling the woods, Garrett didn't want Leah anywhere nearby. These days, Jasper left it too long, let himself grow thirsty and desperate enough to lunge at anything with a pulse, no matter how unappetizing it smelled.

But how to wake her? Touch her hand? Shake her shoulder? No, the temperature of his skin would likely startle her and send her tearing forward as the wolf. Saying her name didn't work; she was too exhausted to be disturbed by anything quieter than a foghorn.

Breaking a twig off of a nearby bush, Garrett used it to prod her arm. After several repetitions, plus a shout of her name, she finally opened her eyes.

"The hell?" she said through a yawn. "Did you just poke me with a _stick_?"

"I didn't want to startle you."

"Oh, well. That makes _perfect_ sense. Because it's not at all startling to wake up to a vampire hovering over you with a twig." Stretching her arms overhead, she winced at the cracking and popping symphony provided by her back. "Ugh. Okay, I've had enough of this outside crap."

"You want to go in?"

"I would sleep in Dracula's house right now if it had a bed."

"Isn't he supposed to use coffins?"

"Whatever. As long as it wasn't the ground, I would kick him out and sleep in it."

She wobbled when he helped her up, dragging her feet as though she hadn't slept in a week. On impulse, Garrett wrapped an arm around the waist to steady her. He endured the burn of her skin through her clothes, half-expecting her to jerk away at any minute.

She didn't.

-oOo-

"Welp, Jake imprinted," Leah said, sniffing the overflowing tray of food that Esme had left for her.

Two years of meeting in the forest, and this was the first time she hadn't brought her own food.

"Oh?" Garrett said. "On Bella?"

"Nah, that was never gonna happen. It's always at first sight. Then again, the legends have been wrong before. Jake's the fifth one of us to imprint, and Sam's the only one who fell in love right away."

"Maybe it's an Alpha thing."

"Maybe it's a 'Sam is a freak of nature' thing." Pausing, she let out a breathy laugh. "Anyway, it was one of Bella's friends. Fate has a cruel sense of humor, doesn't it? He hasn't told either of them yet. He's being all mopey and hiding in the woods. Swear to God, if he gets as emo as Bella, I'm going to kick his ass."

Apparently, Leah deemed Esme's offering to be worthy. One by one, she took bites out of each of the simple dishes Garrett had helped to prepare: strawberry shortcake, potato salad, hot dogs. He wondered if his scent was less off-putting than Esme's, or if Leah gravitated toward him without realizing it.

"I kind of feel bad for her," Leah whispered, as though she didn't want to hear the admission herself. "A little. Enough to wish I could warn her, I guess."

Of course she would want to tell Bella. She'd been cut by that heartache, dived into that grief. He knew the bones of her past with Sam, but he'd never asked for details. Never wanted to. Had she been struck speechless when Sam left her for her cousin? Something buried within Garrett rebelled at that thought. Scooting closer, he ran a finger above the branching blue veins in her wrist — almost touching her, but not quite.

"Why can't you say something to her?" he asked.

"Alpha's orders. You're an exception, since you're my imprint. I can tell _you_ anything, but I'll be physically unable to form the words if I try to tell Bella. Stupid Sam. Jake didn't even ask him to make the order."

"He _forces_ you to obey him?"

Forget nature. Sam Uley was now Garrett's enemy for reasons beyond species.

"Yeah." Leah swatted the air as if shooing a mosquito. "It sucks ass. Why do you think Seth never told Bella about Alice? He couldn't. Jake got around an order once, though. Hmm. Maybe I could do that. If I could get her to guess what I was trying to tell her..."

"Do it."

To his surprise, this made her laugh.

"Are you getting all pissed off on my behalf?" she said.

"Absolutely. It's not right. He shouldn't treat you as if he's your master_._"

"You totally want to break Sam's face for me, don't you?"

"The only thing keeping me here is the knowledge that he can't fight back against an imprint. I might abandon my principles and hit him anyway. Haven't decided yet."

He knew then that he had been wrong when he thought he'd seen her at her most beautiful. When she was speechless, she was pretty, sure, but _that_ smile — the bright one put there by him — made her radiant.

-oOo-

"You're quiet today," Garrett said.

Leah nodded. Rather than the breathless, stunned sort of silence that he liked, this one was weighty, brimming over with thoughts.

"Jake's imprint changed," she said, at last. "It's like Sam's now. He kissed her, and bam. Insta-love. He's known her all of two weeks."

Two weeks. It had taken longer than that for Leah and Garret to be comfortable touching hands. Kissing... they'd never attempted it, but Garrett couldn't suppress his curiosity. What would it be like?

He backed her up against a tree, fingers hovering over her hips. This close, her pulse sang to him in spite of her scent, warming his skin as much as the heat of her body.

"Do you want to try it?" he asked.

"Try what?"

"A kiss."

Her choice. She'd stumbled into this bond against her will; it was her decision to deepen it or leave it as it was. The imprint wasn't, after all, a two-way connection.

Her nod was so slight, he almost missed it. Garrett swallowed the shudder that rattled against his spine as he slid one hand up to her neck, over the hammer of her pulse. His instincts annoyed him; they should have long since stopped sounding the alarm in Leah's presence.

"Mouth closed, okay?" she said with an attempt at laughter. "I don't care how good your kisses may be; they can't be worth dying for."

"You say that now, but give me a second. You may change your tune."

"I've given you several seconds already. Chickening out?"

"Not a chance."

Holding his breath, he touched his lips to hers — cold to hot, enemy to enemy. A corresponding warmth spread through his chest, settling there like the spring thaw. Her mouth felt like flames, charring his skin, but he tried to relax his stiff posture and give himself over to it.

It wasn't until he pulled away that he noticed the tears.

"Hey," he whispered, swiping his thumb across her damp cheek. "Was it _that_ bad?"

"No, no. Of course not." Sniffling through a laugh, she settled a hand over his quiet heart. Her fingers twitched out an unsteady rhythm, as if trying with each tap to restart his pulse. "I'm sorry."

Maybe she would always be stuck at this in-between place — this rest stop where they were almost friends. Maybe she would spend the rest of her life bound to a vampire she couldn't love, unable to be with anyone else.

Garrett sighed. "Me too."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

She was already there, waiting for him on the dock that Emmett and Esme built. Dangling her legs in the river, staring at the pink-orange glow of sunset. One kick of her left leg sent a wide arc of water splashing from her foot. At the sight of her — safe and well and close — something inside him relaxed. He hadn't seen her in over a month — the longest stretch of time they'd been apart since the imprint.

Deciding to take a risk, Garrett sat behind her, one thigh on either side of her body. His thumb found its way along her arm, stroking the raised crescent of her scar. He couldn't bear to touch bare skin for long, given the way it burned him, but the fleeting brushes were enough. The eased tension in his chest warmed into something new as she leaned back and let her head rest on his shoulder. The motion bared her neck to his teeth. She didn't move, even when he feathered his lips over her pulse and tested her trust.

"You're affectionate today," she said.

"I think I missed you."

He felt, more than saw her smile.

"I think I missed you, too," she said. "I threatened to castrate Embry if he didn't cover for me this weekend. I've spent way too much time patrolling for Sam since Emily had the baby."

The baby. Leah would never have that, never carry a life that was half her, half him. Garrett hadn't given much thought to children, but was it something she longed for? Something to list among her regrets?

"I don't want kids," she said, as if she'd read his mind. "I've never been that crazy about them, but I decided for sure a few days ago. Seeing it through Sam's eyes... he's so happy, but I don't think I would be. Even if I stop phasing, motherhood isn't for me. I'd rather be the cool aunt. You know, the kind who takes them to get things pierced when their parents say no. That sort of thing. That's my area."

Panic sliced through Garrett's body, drowning out all but one thought. "Do you want to stop phasing?"

Another splash. A sigh filled the scant space between them, filtering into the cracks.

"I do," she whispered, at last. "A lot. But I won't, unless something happens to you."

Wrapping his arms around her waist, caging her in, he pressed his lips to her shoulder. The change in position gave him a peek down the collar of her shirt, leading his thoughts down avenues best left unexplored, given the limitations of their relationship — such as it was — and the incompatible nature of their bodies.

"Paul's imprint completed, or whatever you wanna call it," she said. "The insta-love thing. You know how he imprinted on Rachel? Jake's sister? Well, he was less than thrilled about it. Then, the other night, she cut herself when making dinner. He smelled her blood, freaked out because he thought she was hurt, and that was it. Practically got hearts in his eyes like a fucking cartoon. Now he's as sappy as the rest of them. Damn traitor. Quil is the only sane one left, aside from the ones who haven't imprinted."

"Hmm. Too bad I don't have any blood for you to smell."

She shrugged, her shoulder bumping against his chin. "Maybe I'm not supposed to fall in love with you. A bird may love a fish..."

"I hate that saying. What if the bird is a duck? Or a swan or a goose or some other such thing? They can float on top of the water, so that solves the question of where to make their home with their beloved fish."

Chuckling, she trailed her scalding fingertips up and down his arms. "Which one am I in this scenario? The duck or the fish?"

"The duck, I think. Feathers look more like fur than scales do, and fish are cold."

"That's true. Plus, you don't need to breathe, so you could live underwater."

"I could. I'd rather not, though, if it's all the same to you."

"No making our home in the river, then."

His lips covered her pulse again. "You don't _have_ to make a home with me anywhere," he said against her skin.

She shook her head. "I think I want to. Maybe."

"Someday?"

"Yeah. Someday."

-oOo-

"Jake can go fuck himself."

Garrett laughed. "It's nice to see you, too."

This earned him a smile. Tucking her legs beneath her body, Leah scooped up a handful of the marionberries he'd bought for her. The juice from the dark fruit settled in a crack on her lower lip, staining it red.

"What'd he do this time?" Garrett asked.

"Knocked up his imprint and asked her to marry him. He made a point of telling me that everyone's imprint is invited to the wedding _except_ mine."

"Oh."

"Yeah. So, like I said, he can go fuck himself. So can the rest of them — except Seth. The others agree with Jake. It's ridiculous. You've been off the human diet for ages, and it's not like any of them even smell appetizing to you."

"They don't, but their imprints or their families might. A couple of years isn't long at all for my kind. You know I ask one of the Cullens to come along and supervise me when I go out among humans. It's for a good reason."

"Hmph. You're no fun." Laughing through a fake scowl, she gave his shoulder a shove. "Stop ruining my tantrum with your logic."

"My apologies. Yes, you're absolutely right, darling. Let a bloodthirsty vampire run loose among a crowd of inebriated humans. It can't go wrong."

He didn't miss the way the casual endearment made her face brighten — the way it brought out the smile he loved best. Filing this information away for future use, he lay on his back and stared up through the boughs at the soft morning light that set his skin sparkling.

"Are you going to skip the wedding?" he asked.

"Yeah. I'll come visit you, instead. I mean, Jake can invite or not invite whomever he wants. Whatever. It's his wedding. But I'm not going to sit through hours upon hours of Jessica being the center of attention without you there to keep me sane. Her mouth is way more poisonous than yours."

Garrett couldn't hold back his grin any more than he could hold back the emotion that rose in his chest like the sun and changed everything he was.

"I love you," he said with a fond shake of his head.

With a gasp, she transformed back into the stunned girl he'd met on a cold battlefield. Trembling fingers clapped over her fragile smile. Tear-misted eyes stared at him as if for the first time.

"Lee?" he said, sitting up and reaching a hand toward her. "Are you all right?"

She caught his fingers with hers, not even flinching at the temperature of his skin. "Wow. Insta-love."

"What?"

"It just... it happened. _Oh_. I get it now." Beaming, she cradled his face between her hands. "I... I love you, too."

For the second time since they met, her lips touched his. She kept the kiss gentle, as if afraid of hurting him — as if she thought something too rough would frighten the tender emotion, send it scurrying away. Her pulse thudded across the connection, racing down his neck and echoing in the silence of his heart.

"I love you," she said again. This time, it didn't sound like she was testing the words, seeing how they felt in her mouth. This time, they were natural — inevitable.

If he thought he'd seen her at her loveliest before, he'd been a fool. This was it. There couldn't be anything better than the tremor in her voice and the way she couldn't seem to stop kissing him. He didn't care when his lips began to hurt, burned by hers. It didn't matter.

A happy Leah. He could get used to this.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

He was burning. If this was how death came for his kind, he would welcome it. Let him be consumed by her fire. Best way to go. Hot breath warmed his neck, made him feel almost human. When he settled a hand over her breast, Leah shifted in his lap and let out a whimper.

"Oh, God," she said. "You're driving me crazy. My apologies in advance if I start acting like an actual dog and hump your leg in my sleep tonight."

"Without buying it dinner first? Tsk. What sort of hussy do you think my leg is?"

"What, you want me to fetch you an elk? Cause I'll do it, if it ends in me having my way with any part of you." Hooking her fingers through his belt loops, she sighed. "I guess this isn't as frustrating for you, is it? No stupid hormones."

"Oh, it's plenty frustrating. Make no mistake: I want you. So much." Tilting his hips up, he pulled her closer. Even through their clothes, the heat between her legs was almost unbearable. "We could try something. Not sex. I don't think that would be safe. There's probably venom in..." Knitting his eyebrows together, he looked down at his own crotch by way of ending the statement.

Great. When had he transformed into a bumbling teenager?

"Really?" she said. "I wonder if it can change humans. Death by fucking."

"I don't think so. I've never heard of it happening like that. Anyway, as I was saying, actual sex probably wouldn't be the wisest course of action, but..." He cupped her breasts.

Leah grinned. "But we have hands."

"That we do."

She unbuttoned his jeans, almost ripping the thick denim when he took a second too long to raise up so she could tug them out of her way. The boxers were next, and then, at last, she touched him. Heat spread across his pelvis, blazing into torture. Garrett hissed. Kissing her or taking her hand was uncomfortable, but this was so far beyond that, it was all he could do to keep from shoving her away - to remind himself that she was trying to bring him pleasure, not pain.

"I'm sorry," she said, scrambling to release him. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. Damn. That was... _ouch_."

"I'm just too hot for you, huh?" She tried to laugh, but he caught the wobble in her voice.

"You are. I already knew that, though. I'm sorry, baby."

"Why are _you_ apologizing? I'm not the one whose dick was possibly damaged."

"You have a dick? I suspect we should be having an entirely different conversation, then. And for the record, mine wasn't damaged. It'll be fine."

"Does it still hurt?"

"Nah. Don't worry about it, okay?" Letting his eyes drift shut, he pressed his lips over her pulse. "I wanted this to work."

"Me too. Maybe... Hmm. Maybe it can. I have an idea."

Before he could ask what she meant, her weight vanished from his lap. A tank top and a pair of shorts hit him in the chest.

_Naked_. He'd caught glimpses now and then when she phased — almost entirely on accident — but this was new. This was standing in front of him, completely bare, shooting him a shaky smile, and streaking toward the river. This was breasts and legs and running and good Lord it'd been so long. A different ache built in his body — a heavy yearning, like he'd felt before she touched him.

Definitely not damaged. Good to know.

The water was evil. Or maybe the moon was to blame. Either way, even his eyes couldn't see through the reflected light on the surface of the river when Leah's body disappeared beneath it. Haloed by a cloud of steam, she swam to the center.

"Shit, this is cold. Okay. Okay. I can do this. It's no worse than cliff diving. Shit. Yeah, just hop into a river in January, Leah. Brilliant plan."

"What are you—"

"Trying to cool my skin down a bit. Now hurry up and get naked. Do you want a hand-job or not?"

For reasons he couldn't imagine, his fingers trembled as he removed his clothes. She watched him the whole time, her smile never fading, even when her teeth chattered. When he reached her, she ran her lips over the drops of water that beaded on his chest. Every part of her shivered.

"Hey," he said. "We don't have to do this. I don't want you to freeze."

Her hand wrapped around him again, stealing his breath, halting his thoughts. The river had worked. Her skin was cooler — no longer painful, but warm and soft and perfect. A groan slipped from his lips, meeting Leah's chuckle in the frozen air.

"What was that you were saying?" she whispered.

"Just that I'm a selfish bastard and I want to live in this river with you."

"That's what I thought."

The urge to bite her — to claim her and make her like him — tore through him. Instead, he dug his teeth into his own lip and swallowed a flood of venom. A bite wouldn't make her a vampire. If allowed to spread through her body, his venom would only snatch her away. _Forever_. He had to remember that. He had to be careful with this girl, with this love.

Her breaths were as ragged as his, fogging the space between them in rapid bursts. Her lower lip disappeared between her teeth, mimicking him, just before she drew in a deep gulp of air, held it, and submerged herself up to her chin.

"What are you doing?" he asked before she could disappear entirely.

Hooking her ankles around his knees, she raised herself up to place her lips near his ear. A wave of new heat passed over her skin, as if she blushed when she whispered, "I want to see you."

Her head ducked beneath the surface of the water, and that was it. Two more strokes, and he couldn't hold back — didn't _want_ to hold back. Something like a roar built up in his chest, but all that came out was a sigh.

It wasn't until Leah bobbed back up that he realized his fingers were locked onto her shoulders in a punishing grip.

"Oh, damn," he said, jerking away. "I'm so sorry. Did I hurt you?"

She laughed. "Relax. I'm not that fragile."

Ignoring this claim, he kissed every inch of skin where his hands had been — where she would have bruised if she was human. Then, scooping her up in his arms, he carried her to the shore.

"This would probably be romantic if I could feel my extremities," she said, resting her head on his shoulder and swinging her legs.

"I could start reciting poetry, if that would help."

"I think it might hurt."

Unable to resist, Garrett cleared his throat. "There once was a man from Nantucket..."

Giggling, she pressed the back of one hand to her forehead in a fake swoon. "Oh, baby. Take me now."

"Hmm. If only."

Laughter evaporated as he set her down next to the pile of discarded clothing. His outfit looked like it'd keep her warmer, so he slipped his shirt over her head and tugged his jeans over her hips. He would survive walking back to the house in his underwear. Bad enough Edward would see Leah naked via mind reading; Garrett didn't want to give the whole family an eyeful of her in a flimsy, wet tank top and shorts.

"Where are we going?" she asked as he took her hand.

Smiling, he dropped a quick kiss to her lips. "I have an idea, too."

-oOo-

Garrett sat on his bathroom floor, next to the tub. One of his hands dangled in the hot water next to Leah — not touching her, this time. Just swirling the bubbles around and being with her. Next to the river, this was his favorite place.

A week since their first, fumbling attempts at their new version of sex, and he still hadn't gotten used to it. Maybe it would take more time. The strategic use of ice packs made everything perfect when she touched him, but every time he placed his fingers between her legs, a jolt of pain screamed up his arm. It was too hot there — too much.

He would never tell her.

Stretching out one of her long legs, she rested her heel on the edge of the tub and picked up her razor. Garrett interfered, stealing the shaving cream and spreading the lather over her leg. Not that Leah seemed to mind. The actual shaving, on the other hand, she insisted on doing herself. As she passed the blades over her knee, the scent of pine needles and damp earth burst into the air. Her blood.

"I wonder what it would do to me," he said, wiping a finger over the smear of red.

"What, if you drank it?" She shrugged. "Jasper spat it out when he sucked the venom from my arm. It's probably not the best idea to try it. Could be dangerous."

"Hmm. I suppose."

-oOo-

The next time he smelled her blood, it changed everything.

Later, when they were out of Edward's hearing, Jasper would tell Garrett how funny it was that for a second time, a paper cut altered his life in huge ways. The moment Leah's thumb sliced open, Jasper just looked at Garrett with an amused, knowing expression and told him he wouldn't advise drinking it.

"You can try it if you want," Leah said. "I know you won't stop wondering until you see what it's like for yourself."

Garrett paused, his thumb pressed over her wrist. "You sure?"

"Yep, but be careful with the venom. I'd rather not die just to give you a drink of something you'll undoubtedly think tastes like shit."

So, he did. As promised, it tasted foul — like wandering into a garbage dump and proceeding to explore the place with his tongue. Words fell from his mouth, unheard by him. Ice shot through his chest. Everything he knew dissolved into pain.

The last thing his panicked mind registered was Leah's scream.

-oOo-

The smells faded as the pain got worse: Leah and Jasper, on either side of him. Manufactured calm settled in his bones, hardly making a dent in the frigid agony. He never thought cold could hurt. Not like this. It made the familiar ache of Leah's sunshine heat seem like a bee sting. Nothing had ever hurt like this — not since the burn of venom cutting through his veins, transforming him into a vampire.

Garrett tried to tell Leah he was okay — to _lie_ — but something thudded beneath his ribcage, pounding and tearing and making him certain he was going to die. He couldn't even shout anymore; a whine took all of his strength.

"Carlisle?" a half-familiar voice said. Almost like Leah. Hands ran over his arms and chest — warm, but not quite hot enough. They didn't make discomfort curl in his belly. It couldn't be her. "Is he...? He feels... and smells like..."

"Incredible."

That almost sounded like Carlisle. Strange, to be surrounded by people who sounded so similar to his loved ones. Garrett opened his eyes.

"Hmm?" he said, but it came out strangely — stretched and lazy, like a human's yawn. The woman hovering over him with tear-misted eyes could only be Leah. Only she could look at him that way, make that flutter start up in his chest. Still, there was something new — something softer and out of focus. "Hey, sweetheart. You look different. Did you—"

She kissed him as she'd never kissed him before, without a shred of restraint. It swept Garrett away, freezing his objection about safety in his throat. His world shrank down, excluding the half-circle of vampires who watched them with wide eyes. Nothing existed but her.

After Leah pulled away, Carlisle touched Garrett's wrist with cold, cold fingers.

"Jesus, Carlisle! You're freezing." Garrett placed an sweat-slicked palm over his own chest. Sweat. _His_ sweat. An impossible life thudded beneath his hand. "Th-this isn't possible. Is it? I'm..."

"Human."

-oOo-

The forest was alive, and so was he. For the first time in over two hundred years, birds sang in the branches above his head, hardly bothered by his presence. The house was still in sight, but he couldn't hear the screams of the others as they went through their own changes.

"I _told_ you it would be dangerous to drink my blood," Leah said with a little laugh.

"Pft. It was worth the risk."

She beamed. "Yeah."

Holding her close, he basked in the warmth that seeped into his skin. Every part of her fit every part of him. No more clashing, no more battling temperatures. He couldn't get enough of the way she smelled.

"Remember when I said I thought I wanted to make a home with you someday?" she asked.

"Mhm."

Hiding her face against his chest, she spoke her next words in a whisper. "When you were changing... I thought... Gah. Scariest three days of my life. I should've tried to make a home with you a long time ago." Her body quivered. "Marry me?"

Perhaps the request should've surprised him, but it didn't. His answer rose up with his smile, as easy and natural as telling her he loved her.

"Of course," he said. Placing a finger over her lips, he held his mouth just out of her reach. "On one condition."

"What?"

"We don't invite Jacob to the wedding."

Leah kissed him through her laughter again and again, brighter and more beautiful than she'd ever been.

"Deal," she said. "Jake can go fuck himself."

_The End_


End file.
